Context No. 3670 of 4322 · Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:1-6: in context

1“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says the LORD. 2Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says against the shepherds who feed my people: “You have scattered my flock, driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. 3“I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, neither will any be lacking,” says the LORD. 5“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch; and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. This is his name by which he will be called: The LORD our righteousness.

God pronounces woe on the false shepherds, the leaders who scattered and neglected his flock instead of caring for them. But he promises to gather the remnant himself and to set over them true shepherds who will feed them, so that his people need no longer be afraid.

And then comes the great messianic promise: I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a king who will reign wisely and execute justice and righteousness; and this is the name by which he will be called, The LORD our righteousness. Where human shepherds failed, God promises a perfect King, the Messiah, who will do what they could not. And his name is stunning: The LORD our righteousness. He is not only a righteous king; he is our righteousness, the source of the right standing we could never achieve on our own. This points straight to Christ, the good Shepherd and righteous King, who becomes our very righteousness before God. Where all human leaders fail, the LORD our righteousness does not.

Do I look to Christ, the righteous Branch and good Shepherd, as the LORD my righteousness, the source of a right standing before God I could never achieve myself?

Sources

Jeremiah 23:5: "I will raise to David a righteous Branch; and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land."
Jeremiah 23:6: "This is his name by which he will be called: The LORD our righteousness."
Jeremiah 23:4: "I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed."